


Hotel Arcadia

by EmeraldLight



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-05-31 01:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19415374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldLight/pseuds/EmeraldLight
Summary: Mutants living in a refurbished hotel on an island off the coast of northern BC, Canada. This is a huge WIP and I have no idea how often I'll update - I've had this idea in my head for over a decade. Possibility of homosexuality, trans characters, asexuality, heterosexuality, and more. Right now... just setting the scene.





	1. Chapter 1

There is nothing more unsettling than falling asleep in your warm, comfortable bed and waking up somewhere completely different. In the beginning, the instances were passed off as sleepwalking. How else could you explain going to sleep in your bed and then waking up on the dining room table, outside on a lawn chair, or even sprawled on the front lawn. And so the use of heavy duty padlocks was put into place to keep the bedroom door closed through the entire night, but still, it kept happening.

“Apparently I’m a freaking houdini,” Warren Baker muttered, sitting in his high school cafeteria with a slice of pizza, a bottle of water, and his laptop in front of him. His lunch break was early in the day and there weren’t a lot of people with lunch at the same time so he often took advantage of the school wifi to chat with a long time friend.

[ForeverYoung Says:] So it happened again last night, eh?

[PoppingAround Says:] YES. It’s getting so frustrating. We can’t figure it out!

[ForeverYoung Says:] And you tried the big lock, on the OUTSIDE of the door?

[PoppingAround Says:] Yup

[PoppingAround Says:] I still managed to escape my room and wound up on the lawn chair again

[ForeverYoung Says:] Was the window open?

[PoppingAround Says:] Well, yeah, it’s almost summer, it’s hot out

[ForeverYoung Says:] Are you sure you didn’t just… escape out the window?

[PoppingAround Says:] ….

[ForeverYoung Says:] Did you really not think about that?

[PoppingAround Says:] Don’t judge me!

[ForeverYoung Says:] So tonight you block the window, somehow, and if it happens again… maybe consider investing in a camera?

[ForeverYoung Says:] Though it might be dangerous to have a camera in a teenage boys’ bedroom…

[PoppingAround Says:] Oi!

[ForeverYoung Says:] Just sayin’

[ForeverYoung Says:] But you know I’m right

[ForeverYoung Says:] I’m always right

Warren rolled his eyes, taking the last bite of his pizza before discarding the overcooked crust to the side.

[PoppingAround Says:] I need to head to class. Chat tonight?

[ForeverYoung Says:] Video chat. It’s friday night, it’s tradition

With a final cheeky remark, Warren packed up his laptop and stuffed his half-finished water bottle into the side pocket of his backpack. To most, Warren was no doubt considered a boring person but he found his quiet way of life to be comfortable. He went to school, he had good grades, and when he wasn’t studying he was online chatting with people all over the world. That was how he met his best friend (and yes, online people can be your best friend, even if you’ve never met them in person) - in an online chat room talking about anime.

Her name was Avalon, or at least that was the name she gave him and he never thought to question it. They met four years ago and instantly bonded over characters with wild looking hair in colors that even the most adventurous person may think twice about trying.

Of course, it had grown from there to all their hopes, dreams, secrets, and life goals. From chatting to texting to video chatting, Warren and Avalon knew each other better than anyone else knew them. But that’s how best friends worked, and their relationship was something Warren had never thought he was going to experience. Who wanted to befriend the weird geeky kid who never acted out in class and was sometimes too quiet.

As the last bell for next period chimed, Warren slipped into his first class of the afternoon and claimed his usual desk, closest to the window. If not for the attendance policy, Warren would miss a lot of classes - not because he didn’t want to attend, but because he didn’t feel the need. The shaggy haired near-graduate had completed all of the in-class course work a long time ago, and the homework was completed not long after. Despite all that, Warren had to continue to attend class, lest he get expelled and lost his impressive grade point average. While the teacher began the lesson of the day, Warren tucked his laptop into his backpack and exchanged it for a notebook and a variety of colored pens. To outsiders, he looked as though he were taking impressive notes, but in truth he was writing down his memories of the night before.

*****

“Is that Avalon on the computer?”

“Yes, mom,” Warren sighed, a small smile crossing his face.

“HI AVALON!”

“Mom says hi.”

“HI MS. BAKER!”

“I was just showing her the new lawn chairs you bought, but I’m going back upstairs now,” Warren chuckled, turning his laptop towards his mother for a brief moment so the two females could wave at one another. While Avalon didn’t really chat with his mother all that often, Warren hadn’t kept his best friend secret from his family and his mother seemed happy that he had made new friends.

“Have fun, you two. Don’t stay up all night. I’d say do your homework, but I know you finished all of that last week,” the older woman grinned at her son, watching him head up the stairs. “I don’t know why they didn’t just let you graduate early, or get exempt from class…”

“Night mom, I love you.” Warren ignored the silly kissy faces and sounds Avalon was making, knowing it was all in good fun. He was lucky to have such a great relationship with his mother.

“I agree with her, yanno,” Avalon said as she settled deeper into the armchair she often used when chatting with Warren. “You shouldn’t have to attend classes if you’ve completed all the course work, the homework, AND the bonus work.”

“Yeah, well…” Warren shrugged, setting the laptop down on his desk while he moved around his room to prep for their chat that night. Along with general conversation, both he and Avalon enjoyed playing Minecraft together on the PS4.

There was some more shuffling around, from the two of them, as they got comfortable and settled in for the evening. Avalon bundled her long, blonde hair into a bun on the top of her hair, pushing back stray strands of hair behind her ears before grabbing her headphones. Video chatting was always easier with a proper set of headphones and a microphone, versus having to raise your voice and having everyone in the house hearing your conversation.

“Aren’t you glad you saved your money and bought that chair?”

“You’re always right,” Warren agreed, sitting down in the expensive gaming chair he had saved for months to buy. His feet automatically swung up to rest on the other half of his desk and he leaned forward long enough to adjust his laptop for optimal combination TV and video chat viewing.

“Damn rights. What should we do tonight? Standard map? New map? Peaceful mode? Flat map? Mine all the things?” Avalon was grinning as she made suggestions, starting the game on her end by loading Minecraft and flipping through the options.

“You do enjoy mining. We could start a new, huge map, and just go in opposite directions?” the slightly younger male suggested, waiting for the game invite.

“I do like digging… yeah, let’s do that. I’ll start a new world, just hold on a moment or two…”

Warren couldn’t help but grin when he saw the look of concentration cross Avalon’s face as she created their new world. He was curious what name she would give it, but that wasn’t something he got to see.

“You ever think we should start streaming our games, Valon?”

“Nah.”

When that was the only answer she gave, Warren rolled his eyes.

“You can’t just say ‘nah’ and not explain.”

“We have a lot of really deep and personal conversations, Warren. Do you really want the entire world hearing the things we talk about?”

“True,” he conceded, nodding a little. The game invite blinked on his screen and with a quick flick of this thumb, the two of them were launched into a new world.

They chatted about this and that, nothing really serious or too deep, which was different from their usual Friday night games. Warren waited patiently for Avalon to get on with her train of thought, assuming she was working up to something rather intense.

“You’ve died, like, ten times now, Valon. What’s going on with you?” he finally asked, glancing away from the TV screen to observe his best friend on his laptop screen. Where ever Avalon was located, and she had never told him exactly where she lived, it was dark and the blonde hadn’t turned on any additional lighting, so her features were only illuminated by her laptop and her TV screen.

“I’ve just… been thinking, Warren.”

“About…?”

“You. And your sleepwalking. And I just… you’ve tried a lot of different things, and most sleepwalkers can’t escape like you can without getting injured in some way. I… I’m not sure how to talk about this, that’s all.”

She looked nervous, Warren noticed with a small frown. He made sure he was in a safe spot to turn his attention away from the game before shifting his body and turning fully towards his laptop.

“Talk about what?”

“About you having super powers.”

Silence fell between the two of them, with Warren staring at his laptop screen and Avalon keeping her eyes trained on the TV in front of her. While Warren’s game character had stopped moving, Avalon’s character kept digging.

“Super… powers…?”

“Well, there are other names for it,” Avalon said quickly, still not looking away from her game and making a point not to acknowledge her laptop. “Mutations, talents, magic…”

“Valon, have you been drinking?” Despite his best friend not looking at the camera, Warren still shot her an unimpressed look. Sure, they had talked about weird science fiction and fantasy things before, like how Avalon had a strong belief in the supernatural and zombies, but those things didn’t exist.

Right?

Strands of white blonde hair fell into her face as Avalon finally gave up on the game and let her head hang forward, letting out a large sigh. Her movements were slow but she paused, saved, and closed the game. This action caused Warren to be disconnected from Minecraft but he hardly had any interest in playing it at the current moment. He watched as Avalon set side her PS4 controller and adjusted herself in the arm chair, reorienting her laptop so she was properly viewing the screen.

“I think it’s time you came to visit me, Warren. There are some things I think you should learn.”

“Don’t change the subject.” Now Warren could give Avalon his unimpressed look and his friend couldn’t avoid it, though her reaction looked almost tired.

“I’m not changing the subject, Warren. I’m trying to educate you and help you open your mind. There are things in this world that I didn’t think you would fully understand, or believe, so I haven’t been saying anything, but since you’ve started this whole ‘sleepwalking’ thing,” the blonde lifted her hands and issued air quotes. “I’ve started to suspect that there’s more to you thank you think.”

More silence.

More unimpressed looks.

“Even if we weren’t video chatting, I would still know the look that you’re giving me,” Avalon sighed, rubbing her face, and not just because it was late at night. “I don’t expect you to believe me without some sort of proof, but I did expect you to at least trust me. I would never lie to you, and you know I’m not a practical joker, so why are you struggling with this?”

“Because you’re trying to tell me I’m some sort of magical freak,” came the response, and Avalon groaned.

“You’re not a freak, Warren. You just have special powers that are causing strange things to happen around you, but I can help with that!”

“You know what, it’s late, I’m going to bed. Night.” Warren didn’t wait to hear any continued protest from his friend as he closed the video chat. His room instantly felt much too quiet and almost cold which made him feel a bit sheepish for simply hanging up on his best friend the way he did. But Avalon was acting like a crazy person and he wasn’t going to support such things. She didn’t put up with his talk of running away from home back when they had first met and he had been getting bullied at school, so why would be enable her crazy thoughts.

With a large sigh, the shaggy brunette pushed himself away from his desk, nearly forgetting about his headphones before he felt the gentle tug of the cord. This wouldn’t have been the first time he had nearly clotheslined himself via headphones, but tonight he was moving slowly enough to correct the situation before he ended up on the floor. His body felt almost sluggish, probably because he felt guilty, but he told himself it was simply because he was tired.

“I just need a good sleep,” he mumbled to himself, setting his headphones on his desk before moving to flop down onto his bed. Despite feeling exhausted, there was always a part of him that didn’t trust going to sleep. Going to sleep meant he was going to wake up somewhere else, and that was not something he looked forward to. Warren did, however, make sure to stay fully clothed - there was nothing more embarrassing than waking up on the front lawn wearing only a pair of boxers.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up in the morning is supposed to be peaceful, calm, quiet, serene.

Waking up on the roof is none of these things.

Waking up on the roof with your blonde best friend sitting beside you, staring at you, waiting for you to wake up is absolutely not any of these things.

“Morning, Warren.” Avalon sipped on a glass of iced tea and looked unconcerned about their position on the roof. Dark brown eyes squinted at the blonde as Warren was momentarily blinded by the light of the morning, observing the friend he had never actually seen in person before.

“Hi…”

“No, you aren’t dreaming,” Avalon assured him, sitting cross legged only three or so feet away and wearing black yoga pants and a sapphire blue hoodie with some sort of logo on the front. “You absolutely are on the roof, and yes, I’m sitting here with you. Oh, and your mother knows I’m here, that’s how I got the iced tea.” She wiggled her glass, smiling as her head tilted to the side ever so slightly.

“Why are you here…? And I don’t mean on my roof.” The younger male sat up slowly, stretching muscles that protested sleeping on the hard, shingled roof. Avalon, on the other hand, moved to her feet quickly and smoothly.

“I told you, we need to have a conversation about your new found powers, and since you so rudely hung up on me last night, I made the decision to come directly to you. Your mother has been an amazing host, even when I called her at seven and asked for a ride.”

“You WHAT.”

“I hopped on a plane, flew here, arrived around seven this morning, and called your mom to come pick me up. I’ll admit, she was quite surprised, but when I told her I was trying to surprise YOU, she jumped on board. She’s making breakfast downstairs, and I think it’s going to be a lot of food.” Avalon spoked as though there was nothing wrong, or crazy, about what she had just done. While Warren struggled to comprehend everything, the blonde sipped more of her cold drink and took in the view all around her.

“Your town is really pretty, you know. Dry. And very hot. But pretty. I haven’t been away from Arcadia in a long time so it’s nice to get out and see new things every once and a while,” Avalon smiled, moving towards the edge of the roof. “I’ll be inside eating all your food, if you feel like joining us. I haven’t told your mother anything yet, but I suspect she’ll take the news better than you did.” And with that, the blonde slid over the edge, dropping down less than ten feet to the top of the garage where she could then use Warren’s bedroom window as access to the house. The brunette in question simply sat motionless, staring at where his friend had been.

“What. In the. Fuck.”

*****

After getting himself down from the roof, Warren took a quick shower and changed clothes before he ventured downstairs into the kitchen to find his mother and his suddenly appearing best friend. The sounds of conversation and the gentle clink of cutlery on plates was easy to follow, but honestly, where else would they be eating breakfast other than in the kitchen, in the breakfast nook.

“I’m really glad you decided to come and visit, dear,” his mother was saying, the older woman beaming across the table at the blonde in front of her.

“It was quite the adventure, that’s for sure,” Avalon grinned, enjoying a bite of pancake covered in fresh strawberries and sweet cream. “After Warren hung up on me I decided, screw it, I’m getting on a plane. Luckily I knew which city you guys lived in, and even more lucky that I had your phone number. I got lucky, really, that I saved your address and such from when I shipped Warren those Canadian treats.”

The two shared a laugh as Warren entered the kitchen, his mother motioning towards the oven.

“There are a few pancakes left in the oven, dear. I turned it on really low so that it would keep them all warm and fluffy.”

“Thanks, mom.”

“Avalon and I have been having a wonderful chat about her home, you know. She’s told me all about her plans for the two of you this summer,” his mother bubbled, clearly excited for events that Warren himself had no idea about.

“I actually haven’t told him yet, Ms. Baker,” Avalon chimed in, continuing to smile. “But I’m glad you’re excited.”

Warren made himself a plate of food, opting to cover his pancakes in butter and syrup versus the fresh fruit that had been set out.

“Yes, please enlighten me. I hope you haven’t forgotten that I’m still in school. Just because you already graduated doesn’t mean I get to run around the world without warning.” He was sure his words were coming across as a tad bitter, but he had never been one for surprises.

“My plans don’t kick off until after graduation, don’t worry,” Avalon smiled sweetly, using the final piece of her pancake to scoop up as much strawberry juice and sweet cream as it could.

“I’m so excited for you, sweetie!” Ms. Baker beamed, almost doing a little dance in her chair.

“Again, enlighten me.”

“You’re coming to Arcadia, where I live, for the summer. You’re going to get to experience my way of life, which I’ve never actually talked to you about, first hand. And we’re going to solve this little… ‘sleepwalking’ issue of yours, one way or another.” Again with the air quotes, Warren noticed.

“Avalon was telling me about her home and I think it’s just perfect for you.”

“Thanks, mom.” Warren turned his attention to his friend, taking a moment to swallow another bite of pancakes before continuing. “Did you tell her your crazy reason for why I keep moving around at night?”

“Nope, that’s for you to decide. I just told her that we’re going to help you.” The blonde smiled sweetly, reaching for a glass of orange juice and taking a sip.

“We?” Warren lifted an eyebrow.

“Yes, we. I don’t live alone, at least, not really. I mean, I live with a bunch of other people in a huge house, but it’s kind of complicated,” she tried to explain, clearly trying not to divulge too much information. “I’ll be sending you a bunch of information once I’m back home, but I’ll be here until later this evening so we can chat a bit as well.”

“I called the school and said you’re sick today,” his mother piped in, grinning as though she had just executed one of the best ideas she had ever thought of. “You can take Avalon over to Birch Park and you two can chat the afternoon away.” His mother’s excitement for all of this was slightly unnerving, making Warren hurry up and finish his pancakes.

“Can I help with the dishes, Ms. Baker?” Avalon offered, standing as she gathered her empty plate and finished her orange juice in several large swallows. The older woman laughed, waving a hand.

“Just leave it in the sink, dear. We have a dish washer and I’m happy to take care of everything while you two spend some time together. You aren’t here for very long and I can tell that Warren has a thousand and one questions for you.”

His mother was right, Warren admitted to himself, finishing off his own plate of breakfast. He watched his mother and his best friend head into the kitchen, Avalon talking about packing water bottles for their little adventure.

“You should take the car, honey,” his mother offered. “The keys are hanging by the door. I don’t think Avalon wants to take the bus.” The younger woman went to protest but Warren quickly cut her off, thanking his mother for her offer and quickly gathering his dishes to move them to the sink.

“There are water bottles in the fridge, Valon,” he said quickly. “Grab two for us and we can head out. If we get hungry, there’s a food truck area in the middle of the park.” The blonde observed her friend for a few moments before nodding and helping herself to the offered bottles of water. As the two left the house, Avalon called a farewell to her friend’s mother and Warren closed the door behind them.

“I really would have been fine taking the bus, you know,” she told him as they walked to the car that was parked in the driveway. “I haven’t been on a bus in forever, until this trip, and I’ve been enjoying looking around and seeing everything.”

“It’s still early enough in the day that we might run into other students,” Warren told her, unlocking the car. “I have a pretty good attendance record at school and if I’m sick, I shouldn’t be spotted running around the city with a pretty girl.” Avalon grinned, settling herself in the passenger seat and buckling her seat belt.

“You think I’m pretty?” she teased, watching her best friend get in the car as well. Warren rolled his eyes, adjusting the seat and mirrors before starting the car and pulling out of the driveway.

“Of course I do. I always have, and you know that. Pretty sure I called you all sorts of names that mean pretty, cute, adorable, or beautiful in the last four years, Valon. I also comment on hair changes, if you happen to wear lipstick, and if I notice you’re wearing a shirt I’ve never seen before. Just because I’m a boy doesn’t mean I’m completely blind to how attractive you are.”

“Dude.” Avalon couldn’t help but grin, but she knew that Warren was right. He had absolutely commented on all those things, and more, in the time since they’ve been friends. When he didn’t continue talking or try to pass off his comments are jokes, Avalon settled into her seat and watched the world around her go by.

Warren lived in the Southern United States and compared to Northern Canada where Avalon was located, things were a lot less green and a lot more orange and brown in this city. While the blonde had travelled to many different places in her life, she couldn’t remember the last time she had been away from her home in Arcadia. Not being surrounded by greenery and trees was somewhat foreign to her, but everyone had their own way of life and living in a big city wasn’t hers.

“I don’t have a passport,” Warren interrupted her thoughts. “Or any money.”

“I’m not asking you to spend money, Warren, I’m just asking you to come visit. I have everything covered, don’t worry about it.” She knew she was getting a side-eyed glance for that comment but because he was driving, Warren couldn’t simply gawk at her. Before he could protest what she was saying, the blonde pointed at this and that, asking questions about the city.

The drive to Birch Park was roughly twenty minutes and by the time they arrived, Avalon found herself out of questions. She also, however, found herself impressed by the sheer size of the park and all the green space.

“Ohh, this place is beautiful,” she smiled brightly, doing a slow turn to take in the area where they had parked. Warren had chosen the middle of the park, where the food trucks were more or less permanently parked, purely for convenience.

“It’s still early so this place is pretty quiet, but in a few hours the food trucks will be up and running and it smells absolutely amazing. But for now we can explore the park, it’s plenty large enough.”

“Sounds great,” Avalon agreed, eyeing the names on the food trucks and absently planning several options for her lunch later that day.

With Warren leading the way, the two friends made their way around the longest trail in the park - there was a lot to talk about.

“Arcadia is the name of my… compound,” Avalon began, shoving her hands into the front pockets of her hoodie as they walked. “I can’t think of a better word for it, because when we say ‘Arcadia’ we mean the entire island--”

“Island?”

“Yeah, Arcadia is an island off the coast of North Western BC, in Canada. It’s a private island that’s been in my family for generations. There’s a huge hotel on the island and that’s where we all live.”

“In a huge hotel?” Warren glanced to the side, observing her friend’s face.

“Yeah, it was easier than building a bunch of tiny little cabins. The rooms are still spacious and everyone has their own bathrooms and such,” began the explanation as Avalon gazed at all the greenery around them. “Each room is like a tiny apartment - one room, bathroom with full tub and shower and such, and a itty bitty kitchen. Perfect for one, maybe two people if you have a mate, but mostly it’s just a bunch of singles. There’s also a communal eating area, which is where a good portion of the guests eat and hang out. Tables, chairs, couches, and a huge ass TV.”

“It sounds like a college dorm,” Warren observed, pausing as Avalon checked out the pond they were passing, and the family of ducks that were swimming across the water.

“Yeah, it kinda is, but our apartments are better. And soundproofed.” The blonde snickered before clearing her throat, continuing to move forward.

“So… how many of you live in Arcadia?”

“Oh… about thirty of us, right now? But the hotel can house about one hundred people. At least, that’s how many apartments we have.” Avalon frowned some. “And yeah, it’s weird that they’re technically hotel ‘rooms’ but we call them apartments because they’re a permanent fixture. There were a lot more, in the beginning, but we felt the need to renovate and give people more space. It’s nice to have more than just a bed.” The blonde knew she was rambling and paused to take a deep breath.

“I’m overwhelming you,” she said quietly when Warren didn’t attempt to ask any more additional questions. They were halfway around the park and Avalon made a point to stop their walk and to have them both sit down on a nearby bench. Not wanting to push the situation further, and wanting Warren to have time to process, the blonde opted to stay quiet and simply stare out across the park pond.

She liked watching the ducks, especially the little ducklings who seemed to still be learning how to swim in straight lines, and observing people walking around the park. This end of the park was more for quiet walks and observation, while the other end of the park was dedicated to play structures, outdoor fitness courts, and general loud, happy, energetic adventures. It was a good balance, especially with the food trucks sitting in the middle of everything.

“I’m immortal,” Avalon broke the silence after nearly fifteen minutes of patience. “All of us in Arcadia have special powers that make us unique. They also can be quite dangerous, like popping from location to location without realizing you’re doing it.”

The blonde continued to babble once again, not sure if Warren was even listening to her. “I’ve met others like you, in my time running Arcadia. I’ve never met a power that surprised me, at least, not in an unexpected way. I have, of course, been literally surprised by one of the people with powers. I was cleaning the big, outdoor pool and they had just learned to harness their invisibility and I was very startled… I fell into the pool. It was empty. There was a lot of blood, and screaming.”

“See, I don’t tell everyone what I am, I let them figure it out on their own. Most of them simply think I’m really flexible, and in truth, I’m also flexible. Sometimes there’s a secondary flaw, a mutation, a weirdness in our genetics. I’m immortal with a side order of being crazy flexible. Anyways, I really traumatized that poor kid, laying there on the bottom of the empty pool, my head split open and blood pooling under me… until I started moving. Then there was more terror, shock, surprise. Luckily I’m not the only one who wrangles the tenants and it was quickly explained just what my powers are. The kid got over it… eventually.”

“Eventually,” Warren echoed. He still hadn’t turned towards her, but Avalon was grateful to know that he was listening.

“You’re special, Warren,” the blonde tried again. “And I don’t mean that in a creepy, or even demeaning, way. You have powers that make you different from everyone else, and there’s nothing wrong with you. And no, it’s not just sleepwalking.”

“I’m a freak,” he muttered and Avalon twisted on the bench, facing him quickly.

“You are not!” She said it so firmly that Warren almost believed her, but a lifetime of being the strange, quiet kid at school still tugged at him. “There are thirty of us, and even more all around the world, with powers. You aren’t a freak, and you’re certainly not alone in this. I told you, I’ve seen a LOT of people with powers, and you aren’t the first teleporter I’ve come into contact with.”

“You make it all sound so normal,” Warren sighed, still not ready to actually turn and face his friend. “I don’t see anything normal about it.”

“Call it evolution, or birth defects, or… I dunno… a gift from aliens!” Avalon was feeling a bit flustered. She had dealt with many people who didn’t believe that their powers were a gift, instead of a curse, but something about having the conversation with her best friend was making her lose her usual calm.

“Aliens?” That made Warren lift an eyebrow and glance over at the blonde. “Really?” Avalon shrugged, shifting so she could pull one knee against her chest, resting her chin on it.

“I do this for a living, Warren. I counsel people of all ages regarding their powers and what their lives will be, both with or without them attending Arcadia, but trying to explain it to you… it’s much more frustrating. I’m used to people not believing me, and usually I bring someone with me who can appeal to the person I’m counseling.” The blonde let out a huge sigh, once more focussing on the ducks in the pond. “But you’re my best friend and I thought that would be enough for you to trust me, but now I see I should have brought back up anyways.”

She should have known it was going to happen. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise to her, but nonetheless she found herself squealing in surprise as a young man with dark red hair simply materialized in front of her.

“You called?”

“ATMOS.” Avalon glared at the male, slowly moving to her feet. “You know you aren’t supposed to travel without permission. And I certainly didn’t ask you to come here.”

“Sure you didn’t,” the red head, Atmos, snorted, rolling his eyes. “You know how my powers work, Avalon. If someone is thinking about me hard enough and I happen to be teleporting, I end up where said person is.”

Atmos turned toward Warren, a huge grin on his face.

“It made for an interesting experience one time after a first date,” he began, rocking on his toes. “I mean, I thought the date had gone really well, but I was just trying to pop downstairs to grab a snack and poof, I wound up in a bedroom that absolutely wasn’t mine.” Atmos waggled his eyebrows and meant to continue his story if Avalon hadn’t reached over and punched him, gently, in the shoulder.

“I wasn’t thinking about you, you weiner! I was just musing about having someone, and not specifically you, accompany me to meet Warren and explain Arcadia to him.”

“And here I am,” Atmos finished, looking smug. He turned his attention back to Warren, offering out a hand to the rather stunned brunette.

“I’m Atmos, it’s an honor to meet you. Avalon’s been talking about you since I moved into Arcadia.”

“Uh… Warren Baker… and… thanks?” Warren accepted the offered hand, shaking quickly. If his mind hadn’t already been swirling with questions, having Atmos suddenly appear in front of him certainly did the trick.

“How did you…”

“Get here?” Armos finished for him, motioning to the park. “I’m a teleporter, just like you. Though as I was mentioning to Avalon, my directionality is sometimes swayed by strong thoughts about me.”

“I don’t think yours works that way,” Avalon quickly interjected, gently pushing Atmos to the side. “I think your teleporting is pretty basic, and currently only viable in short distances.”

“But you can work up to further ones!”

“Atmos.” The look Avalon gave the red head was a not-so-silent warning and Atmos bowed his head, stepping back another few steps.

“Warren… I didn’t mean to freak you out, and I certainly didn’t mean to bring Atmos here and cause even more issues. Atmos just happened to be on my mind, like he said, because he’s a fellow teleporter and I try to bring someone who can help me explain things.” The blonde sat back down on the bench, though she dug into her pocket to produce her wallet, offering it to Atmos.

“Here, follow the trail, there’s food trucks at the end of it. No idea when they open, but--”

“You want me out of your hair. Roger that, boss lady.” With a sweeping, and most likely over dramatic, bow, Atmos accepted the wallet offered to him and made his way down the trail, leaving the pair of friends alone once more.

Avalon found herself letting the conversation lapse into silence yet again, but instead of staring at the ducks she simply hung her head and slumped forward, letting her body hang loose. Being hyper flexible, sometimes a good stretch was needed, especially during times of stress.

*****

Atmos was easy to spot, even in the mess of people sitting at the tables provided for all the food trucks. His deep red hair stood out, but being over six feet tall and wearing a sapphire blue hoodie (with a logo Warren was starting to assume was the logo for Arcadia) also helped.

“Hey! You guys finally came back!”

Clearly Atmos had happily helped himself to the money found in Avalon’s wallet as he had quite the spread of food on his table. That may have been the way he was able to keep the entire table for himself while all other tables were packed with lunch patrons.

“I see you’ve spent all my travelling money,” Avalon grumbled, settling down on an open chair and motioning for Warren to do the same thing. Atmos grinned and pushed a variety plate of mini tacos towards his friend.

“I got all this food for all of us,” he told them, taking a sip of something bright blue that came with a bendy straw. “You two were sitting out there for a while and I figured all that chit chat would make you incredibly hungry.”

“There wasn’t much chit chat,” Avalon admitted, accepting a mini taco that looked like it contained pulled pork and coleslaw. “It was pretty one sided, but Warren didn’t run away screaming and actually walked back here with me… so I guess it wasn’t a complete loss.”

Warren accepted the food, indeed finding himself hungry. Atmos also had purchased two bottles of water, motioning for the two to take one for themselves.

“I assume you started with saying the usual spiel and then you got emotional because he’s a friend of yours and went into full on babble mode.”

Avalon gave a shrug of agreement, rolling her shoulders in an attempt to dispel some of the tension residing in them, but there was still a long way to go before all of this was taken care of.

“I think it’s best that we just return home,” she spoke softly, cupping her hands around a water bottle but making no move to actually open in. “I’ve said everything I can, including lots about me that I usually don’t talk about so soon, and there’s not a lot more I can do.” The blonde turned towards her friend who had remained quiet for quite some time now. “I’ll still be online at the usual times, Warren. And I’ll answer any texts, if you want to send me any. And if you want to spend the summer at Arcadia, I’ll make it happen.”

When the brunette simply nodded and kept his focus on the food in front of them, Avalon managed to suppress a sigh. She knew Warren, and how his mind worked, and this was something he was going to have to think about. Possibly for several days, if not weeks.

Atmos split up the food and packed a variety of tasty goodies away in three different containers, handing one to Avalon and one to Warren.

“Ya’ll might as well eat,” he grinned. “As much as I love food, I really shouldn’t eat all of this alone.” The red head turned his attention to the blonde across from him, nodding towards a cluster of trees behind the food trucks. “Shall we, boss?”

Avalon glanced at her best friend once more, wanting to at least hug him before she left but she assumed that would be pushing the limits of a situation that already had Warren teetering on the edge of most likely never speaking to her again. She mumbled a soft goodbye before accompanying Atmos to the secluded area, using the shelter of the food trucks and the foliage to vanish from sight, returning home via teleport. She could get her money back for the flight later.


	3. Chapter 3

Atmos worried about his friend. They had returned home to Arcadia two weeks ago and Avalon still hadn’t said a single word about her conversations with Warren. To the best of his knowledge, the blonde hadn’t even been in contact with the person she considered to be one of her best friends. Despite packing her phone around at all times, and checking it regularly, Avalon didn’t seem to be making any headway with Warren. It pained Atmos to see her wandering around as if she were in a haze - it was something he had never seen his fearless do.

Finally he couldn’t take it any longer and he found himself searching the grounds for the illusive blonde who had been distancing herself from everyone more and more. Fearless leader or not, and immortal or not, Avalon was still a living, breathing person and had emotions, just like everyone else. In the two years he had been in Arcadia he had never seen her so depressed and now he felt like it was his duty to fix it. He was one of a rare few who were closer to Avalon than the usual “she’s the boss” bond that most had.

“Boss lady, I think it’s time we had a chat.” He had found her sitting in a tree on the edge of the property, looking out over the ocean that surrounded them. Avalon looked unimpressed that her hiding spot had been discovered, but she made no effort to run away when Atmos teleported onto the thick branch she was sitting on.

“I don’t--”

“I know you don’t want to talk about it, but tough. You’ve been sulking all around the house and the grounds for two weeks now, ever since we got back from the States, and I’m sick of it. No doubt the others who look up to you, especially the younger ones, are just as frustrated by it. I know you have every right to feel the things you are feeling, but you’re also our leader and the person who started Arcadia - we need you.” Well, that sounded a bit more like a lecture than Atmos had wanted it to sound, but the words were out there, no taking them back.

“You are important,” he pushed on, slowly moving to a sitting position on the branch. The last thing he wanted was to fall off and injure himself, even if he was more likely to simply teleport mid-fall, but he wasn’t going to risk it.

“I didn’t mean to worry, or scare anyone,” Avalon sighed, leaning back against the thick tree trunk behind her. “I just don’t know how to handle this situation. Warren hasn’t said a word to be since I went to see him and it’s hard to think that I may have ruined a really good friendship all because I wanted to help him.”

“Sometimes people don’t see it as help,” Atmos shrugged, looking out over the grounds and kicking his legs gently. “Sometimes we see it as pandering. As weakness. As needing someone else to fix our problems. And sometimes those problems are different from what we can see… that’s what friends are for. Friends help us see the truth behind our problems, even when we don’t want to see them.”

Once more a silence slipped between the two friends, each staring out over the lush green grounds that they called home. Atmos had been in Arcadia for several years now and while his home life hadn’t truly been all that bad, he felt much more welcome and at home living in the giant hotel turned mansion.


	4. Chapter 4

Atmos pushed some hair out of his face as he observed the new arrivals who were making their way up towards the main gates of Arcadia. The summer heat was already upon the island and being surrounded by water meant that the humidity was on the rise.

The redhead had been put in charge of welcoming new arrivals for the summer - some of the attendees had been to Arcadia before and only visited the island during the summer, while others were completely new and were going to be spending anywhere from two months to the rest of their lives (if they so choose).

Digging into his pocket, Atmos bundled his shaggy red hair into a messy ponytail, silently cursing the strands that instantly escape and once more tickle and stick to his face. Oh the hazards of having this hairstyle, but hey, he looked cute with his high ponytail.

“Welcome to Arcadia,” he greeted the six new arrivals, waving a hand and pushing the gate open a bit wider. He hopes his smile is reassuring, and welcoming, versus being creepy or weird. Not that there was anything wrong with being creepy or weird, it was kind of the standard for people with mutations, but still, he preferred to be liked by the other guests.

“Sup, Atmos?” A recurring guest by the name of Aedan grinned as he passed by the redheaded gate keeper, backpack bulging and duffle bag in hand.

“Good to see you back,” came the response, followed by a return grin and a high five. Aedan had been spending his summers in Arcadia for nearly as long as Atmos had and the two had instantly hit it off and become friends.

“Head up and drop your stuff off, and then come help me with the newbies?” he asked, tilting his head towards the five remaining teenagers. Aedan nodded and made his way towards the hotel while Atmos turned back to his new housemates.

“My name is Atmos, one of the senior residents here in Arcadia. I get to show you around, help you find a room, and make sure that you don’t get into any trouble.” With a wave of his hand the small group followed him up the path.

“As you’ve noticed, we’re situated on an island just off the coast of Northern British Columbia, Canada. We get guests from all over the world, but most of us are Canadian, with a small handful being American. Anyone here from the states?” He glanced over his shoulder, noting that no one raised their hands.

“Anywhere other than Canada?”

That caused one of the new guests to raise their hand, making him smile. He turned and walked backwards so he could view everyone.

“Where from?”

“Uh, Ireland…” was the soft response, and Atmos smiled brightly - he loved learning about other countries and cultures.

“That’s awesome! I hope you enjoy yourself here, we’re all one big, super crazy, sometimes bitey, family.”

“Bitey?” The question came from one of the other new arrivals, making Atmos laughed. He turned back towards the house, the trail they were following turning from packed down grass and dirt to concrete.

“Just a saying, I assure you. But don’t be surprised if you come across someone with fangs, that seems to be pretty common in people like us.”

The group paused for only a moment or two as he pushed open the main double doors, stepping out of the summer heat into a blissfully cool lobby area. Aedan could be found sitting on the front counter, observing the group as they entered the building.

“As you can see,” Atmos began again. “This house used to be a fancy hotel, but when our founder took ownership she decided to remodel it into a boarding house, so to speak. You each get your own room, there are plenty to go around, and each room is basically a bachelor suite - you get a bed, small social area with a couch or chairs, a desk, dresser, side table, and a private bathroom with a tub and a shower.”

The teenagers look relieved upon hearing they wouldn’t have to share a room, or a bathroom, with anyone.

“The rooms aren’t huge,” Aedan interrupted, sliding down off the counter and approaching the group. “They’re all the same, maybe a few different colors, but you’re welcome to pick any room, on any floor.” 

“How many floors are there?”

“Five,” Atmos waved a hand, as though motioning to the entire building. “The first floor, this floor, the ground floor, whatever you want to call it, doesn’t have a lot of rooms. All the communal areas are down here, like laundry, movie theater, dining hall, and that sort of thing. Mostly we keep the main floor rooms empty, but they are an option.”

“You have a movie theater?”

“It’s not as flashy as you think,” Aedan supplied. “But it’s nice, the chairs are super comfortable, and the popcorn maker never burns anything.”

“We’ll show you around the communal areas once you’ve picked your rooms and dropped off your belongings,” Atmos continued. “I’ll take people two the fifth and fourth floors, and Aedan will take those of you who are interested in the second and third floors.”

The group broke into two parts and soon enough, each of the new arrivals had chosen a bedroom. Atmos was surprised to see one on each of the floors, including the first floor. The new person from Ireland had quietly asked for a lobby level bedroom, stating they had an issue with heights.

Assuring them that it wasn’t a problem, Atmos gave them fifteen minutes to check out their new rooms before asking them to return to the lobby. The hotel had two elevators - added well after the building had been built - and while they did their job, a lot of guests opted to use the stairs. Putting the elevators in had been a somewhat eventful task and they sometimes had a mind of their own, stalling between floors and trapping guests for undetermined amounts of time. Especially if the weather was bad. Power on the island was usually reliable, but high winds coming off the ocean sometimes caused problems.

“How was your final year of school, Aedan?” While waiting for the newcomers, Atmos opted to catch up with his friend. The two were sitting in a pair of comfortable lobby chairs in front a large fireplace, not that there needed to be any additional heat during this time of year.

“Uneventful, as usual,” came the response, the dark haired teenager shrugging his shoulders. “I did the course work and graduated like a good boy. And then I came here, like every year, except this time I don’t plan to go back home.” Atmos lifted an eyebrow, his head tilting slightly.

“I love my family,” Aedan continued. “But I just can’t be around them anymore. They’re constantly asking me not to show off my mutations and, well, it’s a part of me, like breathing, so I just stayed in my room a lot. I figured I’d move here permanently, maybe do some online college stuff, and get better control over said powers.”

“I get that. That’s usually why us year-rounders end up here. Either we’ve been disowned or we just can’t stand being around regular humans. I expected you to go off and travel the world, or something, to be honest. I mean, you’re always going to have a home here, that’s how Arcadia works, but you don’t really seem like someone who is going to settle down and stay in one spot for very long.”

Their conversation was cut short as the five remaining arrivals assembled themselves in the lobby. They still looked nervous, or maybe a bit overwhelmed, but Atmos was determined to help them settle in as best he could.

“I know you all got a lot of information about Arcadia before you arrived, but this is the real deal so now is the time to take everything in and ask any questions you might have,” Atmos told them as he moved to his feet, stretching his arms above his head and twisting his spine a little.

“How long do we have to stay here?”

“Have to? No one ‘has to’ do anything, really,” Aedan frowned. “You were all offered a space here, nothing more.”

“What he means,” Atmos quickly added, “is that we aren’t keeping tabs on you. And we certainly aren’t some sort of boarding school or juvenile detention center. From our point of view, you’re simply a guest here for as long as you want to be. If something on your end, like parents or the law, has sent you here for a predetermined amount of time, that has nothing to do with us.”

“Do we have to leave?”

“Again with the ‘have to’ wording,” Aedan sighed and Atmos flicked his friend in the ear, making the dark haired male squeak and glare at him.

“Disregard Aedan’s attitude, please. He’s not technically in any sort of position of power.” The redhead paused for a moment, frowning some before he continued. “Well, neither am I, honestly. I don’t think we really have positions of power, now that I think of it. We’re more like…”

“Camp counselors?” The Irish one. Atmos liked this person already.

“Yes! Perfect! I accept that title, I’m gonna get a t-shirt with that on it,” he grinned. “But that’s really accurate. Those of us who have been here for an extended period of time, either long term or on a summer visit basis, tend to be more like mentors. We just want to help everyone succeed in coming to terms with the changes going on in their bodies, be they mental, physical, or more.”

“More?”

“Not all mutations are physical,” Aedan quoted Avalon, holding up a finger as though he was quoting some sort of profit or professor. “Each person has a mutation that manifests in a different way. Some are mental, like telepathy or fire control, while others are more physical, like scales or pointed ears.” 

“Most of us exhibit powers that aren’t seen from the outside, but are there nonetheless.” Atmos motioned for the group to follow him once more, completing the tour of the building by showing off the communal areas. “No one here is obligated to show off their powers, not if they don’t feel comfortable doing so, but we do have records for every single guest here in Arcadia, past and present.”

For the time being, his explanations, and Aedan’s ‘assistance,’ seemed to answer most of the questions the new arrivals had. They were set free to explore the grounds and the building as much as they wanted, and dinner would be served around six that evening.

“They never asked about our powers,” Aedan mused, watching the group break apart and spread out around them.

“I think they’re a bit overwhelmed, honestly. I’m sure they’ll start asking questions once they feel less out of place.”


End file.
